Camera Advice

[Ryno08]

I'll try to keep this short. Thanks to DPS I've been teaching myself photography techniques and now know enough to know my point and shoot no longer has enough manual options for me to begin experimenting with composition. I'd like to find an 'in between' camera that isn't necessarily a point and shoot, but isn't a full blown DSLR. I'd like to be able to experiment with manually adjusting ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Any suggestions? I'm looking to spend between $250 and $350.

[candleman]

look at "superzooms"

i just recommended a Nikon P90 to a collegue and he's absoloutley loving it.
(its got monster zoom, awesome macro, and all the manual controls)

you may want to look at a Canon G9 (it will be cheaper) or the new Canon G10.

however, i learned all the manual stuff with a fujifilm finepix S5600 and got if for about US$100

so you could potentially save yourself a couple hundred if you look at other brands, or even second hand "bridge" cameras on E-bay

[rosserx]

Originally Posted by Ryno08

I'll try to keep this short. Thanks to DPS I've been teaching myself photography techniques and now know enough to know my point and shoot no longer has enough manual options for me to begin experimenting with composition. I'd like to find an 'in between' camera that isn't necessarily a point and shoot, but isn't a full blown DSLR. I'd like to be able to experiment with manually adjusting ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Any suggestions? I'm looking to spend between $250 and $350.

Hi,
I've been using a Canon S5 IS for about 2 years now and for what you're seeking, I would highly recommend this model for you. The latest model in this range is the SX20 IS and I think it goes for like $399. You can probably get an S5 on Ebay for like a hundred bucks or so these days. All the pictures on my Flickr page were taken with an S5 IS.

Good luck in your journey!

[JFSanders]

you may want to look at a Canon G9 (it will be cheaper) or the new Canon G10.

however, i learned all the manual stuff with a fujifilm finepix S5600 and got if for about US$100

Both great choices and the Canon will go very close. But skip the G10 and go to the G11 if you are going that way as they "fixed" a couple of features and the G11 is worth the extra over the G9. Me, I still use my Fuji S5100.

[inkista]

Forget the G series, they usually sell for around $500 new, and used they don't depreciate that much for a generation or two--in fact they often go up for a while.

The S series is certainly worth looking at, though and I'd recommend considering the SX120 IS, the SX20 IS's little brother. It goes for $250, has all the manual modes, and a 10x zoom lens. You're giving up the flip-out LCD, the flash hotshoe, and the wide angle end on the lens, and most of the specs are a hair lower, but I think it's a value sweet spot in the Canon P&S lineup. If you're not planning on going Strobist, it's a good choice.

[milosh]

As previously said, you should look at Canon S series (the G series is also very good but expensive), Fuji superzoom models (which are great but always cheaper than the others), and Nikon P90 is also great. The Canon S5IS is a great little camera, but I'm not sure whether you can get a new one these days. So, check out all the models and start searching.

[Ryno08]

Thanks for all of your advice. I was shopping today and found a display model camera on clearance for $120. It was a one day sale and I can still return it so now i need to research to know if its a good camera. I got a Canon powershot S3 IS. Was it worth it? At first glance it looks like a glorified version of my point and shoot Elph but i haven't had time to really dig in. Can you manually adjust aperture? Does the +2 or -2 really adjust aperture? I think I'd rather see the f2.7 or f4.5 or whatever.

Anyway, thoughts on my purchase? Tips on how to legitimately adjust aperture and shutter speed?

Thanks again.

[inkista]

The S3IS is nice, but not great. I think you got your money's worth but not a bargain. It's the S5IS's predecessor, so you're three generations back from the current model (the S20XIS).

The +2/-2 thing may or may not control the aperture, depending on what shooting mode you're in. If you want to set the aperture directly, set the mode dial to Av or M. However, be aware that your lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.7-f/3.5--that means at the wide end of the lens, the widest it will go is f/2.7, and at the long end, the widest it will go is f/3.5.

Aperture is also not that likely to affect your depth of field and blur out the background, because of the tiny sensor and the fact that your actual focal lengths are 6mm-72mm.